Interrogative Pronoun

Definition

Interrogative pronoun can be defined as “An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun used in order to ask a question. Often it has no antecedent because the antecedent is unknown. That is why the question is being asked! In modern English there are five interrogative pronouns: what, which, who, whom, and whose.”

Explanation

Interrogative pronoun is a pronoun which we use in the sentence to ask questions very easily. There are various interrogative pronouns used differently to ask very specific questions.

They can also be used as relative pronouns to ask questions. The word ‘interrogate’ means to ask question. We use interrogative pronouns in the sentence to replace the noun and that ask a question.

Interrogative pronouns take the place of subject or object in the sentence. Some interrogative pronouns can be created by adding the suffix ‘ever’ such as whatever, whoever, whichever, whomever, and whosever.

‘Who’ and ‘whom’ are used for person, ‘what’ is used for things, ‘which’ is used for person or thing, and ‘whose’ is used for person. Mainly there are five interrogative words such as who, whose, whom, which, and what.

For example

  • What is her name? (in this sentence, the word ‘What’ is an interrogative pronoun which serves as the subject in the sentence)
  • She gave the flowers to whom? (in this sentence, the word ‘Whom’ serves as the object in the sentence)
  • Which took first? (the word ‘Which’ serves as the subject in the sentence)

How to Use

Interrogative pronouns are used in the sentence to ask questions. They can be used as the object or the subject of the sentnece. They generally stand for what is unknown in the sentence. Interrogative pronouns never become plural and used to ask question that requires more than an answer of ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

‘Who’ is generally used as subjective or possesive pronoun whereas ‘whom’ as an objective pronoun. Interrogative pronouns are used to ask both, direct and indirect questions.

Examples

Following are the sentences having different interrogative pronouns. All the sentences are ended with a question mark because of the use of interrogative pronouns.

  • What do you want to get as gift on your birthday?
  • Which is your shirt?
  • Who do you believe to win the game?
  • To whom you give credit for this work?
  • Whose socks are smelling very bad?
  • Who won the race yesterday?
  • Whom shall you give the chance?
  • Whose clothes you wore?
  • Which is the smallest ball?
  • What is there?
  • Who are the best signers of the world?
  • To whom he is asking for?
  • Whom do you suggest to nominate in the election?
  • Who has designed this website?

Exercises for you

We have provided below some exercises in order to help you to improve your knowledge about interrogative pronoun. You need to get detail information about interrogative pronoun provided above and check your skill by doing following exercises.

Choose the correct interrogative pronouns from the following sentences given below and match with the given answer:

  1. What are you eating?
  2. Who is the villain in movie?
  3. Which color did you like the most for your bedroom wall?
  4. Whose camera you have taken?
  5. Once you learn English, whom you talk first?
  6. What is your favorite dish?
  7. Whose clothe is this?
  8. Whatsoever does he mean by that?
  9. Whom were you talking with last day?
  10. Which of these you prefer most?
  11. Who called you last night?
  12. Which are your toys?
  13. Whom do you ask for the class notes?
  14. What did he does when failed to reach in the meeting?
  15. Who is there?
  16. Who is the best cricketer in India.
  17. Who did you met yesterday?
  18. What happened in the classroom?
  19. What did he bought?
  20. Who is the most brilliant student here?

Answers: 1 – What, 2 – Who, 3 – Which, 4 – Whose, 5 – whom, 6 – What, 7 – Whose, 8 – Whatsoever, 9 – Whom, 10 – Which, 11 – Who, 12 – Which, 13 – Whom, 14 – What, 15 – Who, 16 – Who, 17 – Who, 18 – What, 19 – What, 20 – Who

Related Information:

Pronoun
Personal Pronoun
Possessive Pronoun
Compound Personal Pronoun
Demonstrative Pronoun
Indefinite Pronoun
Distributive Pronoun
Reciprocal Pronoun
Relative Pronoun

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